Always and Never
by quietontheset
Summary: Spot and Maddy, Brooklyn's second in command, have been best friends since they were seven years old. They both have secrets that the other doesn't know. Not all secrets can be kept that way, and when they come out, anything could happen.
1. Chapter 1

Flurries of snow were coming down upon the city. It was too cold for anyone to be out on the streets of New York City. Even the bums and the rats were hidden away under whatever shelter they could find. Suddenly, there was a change in the air, a change in the way the snow fell to the ground. A small girl went sprinting down the middle of street, her hair trying to catch up. She kept running, never slowing down, until she got to the Brooklyn Bridge.

She came to a halt before she could set foot on the bridge. Minutes passed, but she didn't even notice. Finally, with a tentative look behind her, she stepped on to the bridge. Then she began to fly again.

10 Years Later, July 1900

The same girl was running again. She had a smile on her face this time, and laughter in her eyes.

"Maddy! Will ya slow down? Ya know I can't run as fast as you!"

"Well that's your problem Spot Conlon, not mine!"

Spot sighed in frustration and slowed to a leisurely walk, all while trying to catch his breath. Maddy was already out of sight, running down the bridge and into Brooklyn. He paused, looking over the railing to see if he could catch a glimpse of her on the docks below. He heard a faint yell from below and watched a figure leap into the water of the Hudson River. Spot let a grin overtake his normally stony face and shook his head.

Ever since Maddy had been found on the steps of the newsboy lodging house 10 years ago, Spot had never left her side. Spot had been the newest addition to the Brooklyn newsies and was fascinated by her presence. He was also relieved he wasn't the most recent kid to take up the job of a newsie anymore. The older boys always picked on the newest addition to their clan, to see if they were tough enough for Brooklyn. Paddy Conlon had been the 'leader' of their borough then. Even though Paddy was Spot's brother, it had taken quite a while for the younger Conlon to become a newsie. Not until Paddy said he was allowed could Spot step up to the window of the distribution center. Paddy was always the first out the door to the distribution center in the morning. He had tripped right over Maddy, who was fast asleep in the doorway. She didn't even stir as his cursing trailed off and he realized what had caused his fall. Spot was the next out the door, stopping right before he could face the same fate as his brother had moments before.

Spot had not fallen for Maddy then. Since that moment, he had taken plenty of bruises, bumps and slaps meant for her, but he had never fallen for her. All the boys thought it was inevitable that the best friends would end up with each other, but Spot and Maddy would just laugh at them, telling them they were all getting soft. Paddy got all the boys to call them lovers, even though Spot and Maddy were only seven and really had no idea what that meant. It was only after Paddy disappeared six years after Maddy's sudden appearance that the boys all stopped calling them a couple. That was when Spot had to take care of the whole of Brooklyn's newsboys, and the boys decided collectively not to disrespect him anymore. It was fun with Paddy, but Spot was different. Harder and more demanding. There was still fun, but Brooklyn gained a reputation as fearsome and scary. But Spot always had Maddy to keep him grounded and to loosen him up.

By the time Spot reached the docks, Maddy was lying on the wooden planks of the dock, with her eyes closed. Grinning, Spot nudged her with his foot. She didn't move. Spot planted his foot underneath her lower back and her eyes flicked open widely and she started to struggle. It was too late. In the next second she was in the river again, the boys on the dock and in the water laughing at her misfortune. She kicked back up to the surface, spitting out water and cursing at the leader of Brooklyn.

"Damnit Spot! Why ya always gotta be so jealous? Just 'cause I can run faster than you'se doesn't mean ya gotta take it out on me!" she said with a grin, pushing her straggly blonde hair out of her eyes.

"Doll, you'se been runnin' since the day you was born. I'll never catch up with ya."

"Damn straight ya won't." Maddy shimmied up the rope ladder and shook her head, letting the water fly everywhere. When she looked up, she caught a glimpse of Spot wiping water off of his face.

"Thanks Maddy. I can always count on ya to make me look less than presentable, can't I?" Spot said, smirking at her. Maddy started walking towards the lodging house, Spot alongside.

"Presentable? Ya never look presentable Conlon, despite all the time ya spend looking in the mirror. You're like a _girl_ or something."

Their bickering could be heard all the way down the dock. Some of the newer boys didn't understand why their fearless leader had to choose a girl to be his second in command, but the older boys knew they were in good hands. Most girls didn't pay attention to them at all, so they figured they were lucky to have a girl to listen and clean up after them. Most of them had also grown up with Spot and Maddy, and could think of no other people suitable for the job of leading the newsies. And it made Spot seem more human, when Maddy was around. She brought out a side of him that would've disappeared along with his brother if she hadn't been there.

Inside the lodging house, Spot flopped down on his bunk. Maddy went into the bathrooms to dry off and change. Their conversation had lost steam as they reached the door, so they continued about their business in silence.

In the bathrooms, Maddy looked up at herself in one of the cracked mirrors. Opinions differ of beauty, but it was safe to say that Maddy was reasonably good looking. She had blonde hair that never seemed to get dingy, no matter how much time she spent in the streets. It wasn't a remarkable blonde, just a regular straw coloured blonde. Her eyes were hazel and—just like everyone else's—got darker or lighter as her mood changed. She had a light smattering of freckles that appeared with summer and disappeared into the winter months. She blinked at herself owlishly and then gave herself a huge smile. She heard a chuckle from behind her. Spot had walked in out of boredom and stood leaning against the doorway.

"Spying on me again, I see?"

"Acourse. I gots nothin' better to do with me time." Spot walked up beside her and looked in the mirror at himself as well.

"I told ya. Just like a girl. Can't stop looking at hisself." Maddy stuck her tongue out at Spot in the mirror, and moved off into the bunkroom. Spot grinned and watched her retreat in the mirror.

"So what are we doin' to pass the time 'fore the evening edition?" Maddy yelled from the other room.

"It's too hot to do much o' anything. All that runnin' tired me out anyways." Spot yelled back.

"Hah! I did all the runnin', don't try to take the credit!"

Spot appeared in the doorway of the bathrooms again. He watched Maddy as she went rummaging through a small dresser beside his bunk. He knew what she was looking for, since he didn't have many personal possessions. Anything that he did own resided in his pockets or around his neck. Finally she turned around with a grin on her face and little metal box in her hand.

"I knew keepin' stuff in your dresser was a good idea. Nobody's gonna go through your stuff, they're all afraid you might soak 'em." She took her mornings pay from her pocket and dumped them on the bed. She started sorting through the dirty coins. Spot grinned, then walked over and kneeled beside her.

"How much ya make today?" he asked.

"Eh. Headlines were shitty, but some guy asked me to open my shirt for him and offered fifty cents."

"Ya do it?"

"Nah. I just grabbed the coin and ran."

"Acourse."

"Acourse. I don't understand rich people. He coulda bought some high class whore, an' instead he offers fifty cents to a dirty girl in boys clothes? Weirdos, the lot of 'em." Maddy shook her head, and slipped the coin into the box she took from Spot's dresser.

Spot didn't understand it either. But he couldn't see the appeal in buying a prostitute either, no matter how high class they were. Why buy something that someone somewhere is willing to give for free?

Spot was not one who had to pay for girls to sleep with him. They were awed by his status and his looks. He rarely let a girl know him that way though. All the girls he attracted weren't good enough. Too slutty, too ugly, too stupid. There was a multitude of reasons. Although it wasn't like he'd never been with a woman. He'd had his share of drunken nights that he considered mistakes. No one could even think of a girl that Spot liked enough to sleep with twice. Maddy was always secretly relieved when Spot told her about his night and the girl he shouldn't have slept with. It wasn't that she hoped for a chance. She just didn't want to share her best friend. And as loyal as Spot said he was to the newsies, to Brooklyn, to Maddy; she knew that a girl could ruin everything their friendship stood for.

One time, when Maddy and Spot were only nine years old, she made him promise he would always stay with her. It was Christmas Eve, two years to the day that Maddy had run blindly through the snow to Brooklyn. The lodging house was packed to capacity and Spot and Maddy were so small that Paddy made them share a bunk for a few days, to open up some room. Boys were all over the room, some sleeping, some sitting up playing cards and some just staring into space. Christmas was always a hard time in any place full of abandoned children. Orphanages were worse, because none of those kids had a choice. Many of the newsies had run away from their lives and didn't regret it a bit. But even those kids cracked a little bit at Christmas time.

Spot and Maddy sat in their bunk playing old maid in silence. After Spot had won, like usual, they sat back against the bed frame and watched the clock slowly count to midnight. When the second hand made its way past the 12, the two children turned to each other and embraced, whispering 'Merry Christmas' to each other. Murmurs of the same were heard around the room. Spot leaned down into the dresser beside his bed.

"I have a present for you." He said, emerging from the dresser with a tiny package in his hand.

"Oh. But I didn't get you anything."

"Dat's okay." He handed her the package, his grey eyes shining with excitement. Her child's fingers unwrapped the newspaper that was tied around the box. She got the paper off and took out a metal box, a slot in the top and a key tied to it. Maddy gave Spot a strange look.

"You said ya wanted ta start savin' whatever you could. I figured you could put 'em in here, instead of under your pillow or in your sock or somethin'." Spot didn't meet her eyes. He had never given anyone a present before, so he didn't know if it was stupid or not.

"You remembered? Thank you Spot." she said sincerely, "I only wish I had something to give…," her voice trailed off. Her eyes landed on the key and the string that lay discarded on the bed. She quickly took the key and threaded the string through the top. She looped it around Spots neck and tied it in a tight knot at the back. "There. Now ya can be in charge of my 'vestments." She said with a nod. Spot laughed and gave her another hug.

"Thanks." They finally gave in to the night and lay down together, both facing the bunk above them.

"Spot?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not gonna leave me, are ya?"

"Never."

"Promise?"

"Acourse." They both smiled slightly.

"Merry Christmas Spot."

"Merry Christmas Maddy." With that, they turned their backs to each other and fell asleep.

Back in the present day Maddy had finished sorting out her money. She had enough left to buy 50 papes of the evening edition and a couple cents extra to get some food. She looked covertly at Spot, and they both looked around to see if any of the other boys had joined them. Finding none, she replaced the box in Spot's dresser and closed the drawer. They both stood up, silently deciding to get some food and walked out of the bunkroom to the stairs that would take them out of the lodging house. At the bottom of the stairs was a small figure, hunched over and wheezing. Maddy quickened her pace and kneeled down in front of the boy. Spot followed slowly with some trepidation in his step.

"Hey, ya alright kid? What happened?" Maddy asked concernedly. The boy just sniffled and choked. He raised his head to look at her, and caught sight of Spot leaning in the doorway behind her. His eyes widened before he shoved his head back down and tried to stifle the sounds of his sobs. Maddy looked over her shoulder at Spot. He shrugged, pulling out a cigarette and a box of matches. She exhaled loudly through her noise and clenched her jaw. "C'mon, just tell me. What happened to ya?"

"I ain't sayin' nothin', cause there ain't nothin' that happened!" the boy cried, standing up quickly and running up the stairs to the bunkroom. Maddy sighed, then whirled around to face Spot.

"Your newsies beat him up, didn't they?"

"Aw c'mon Maddy, they do it to all the new ones! Let 'em have their fun." Spot looked out the front of the lodging house, smoking calmly. This was clearly a fight they'd had before.

"They should not be fighting within themselves Spot! If they wanna fight, tell 'em to go sign up for a boxing match or go visit some place that hates Brooklyn! They don't gotta beat up their own kind."

"Maddy, they've been doin' it this way for years. They ain't gonna stop now."

"Not if you just sit there like a good fer nothin' commonplace newsie! You're the leader! Ya gotta tell 'em to stop Spot!" Maddy was in his face now, inches away.

"Maddy, get outta me face and calm down. I ain't tellin' 'em nothin'. They just wanna make sure the new ones can handle Brooklyn. It's for their own good, y'know?" Spot held her angry gaze and pushed her back a bit. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Mads, you know that don't work on me no more. I know you can't stay mad at me. Now c'mon, let's go get some food, alright?" He slung an arm around her shoulder, ushering her down the front steps and into the street. Her arms remained crossed over her chest and an angry look stayed on her face. But she let herself be taken through Brooklyn to a tiny restaurant called Nancy's. The food wasn't so great, but it was cheap and the newsies weren't picky. Spot and Maddy slid into a booth, Maddy still glaring at the leader of Brooklyn. Nancy came by to ask if they wanted their usual, but thought better of it by the look on Maddy's face.

"You gotta be a leader Spot."

"I **am** a leader. And I'm done with this fight. I ain't tellin' 'em nothin'. Would ya gimme a smile so that Nancy will come give us our food. Ya scared her off already." Spot said with finality in his voice. Maddy's stomach rumbled loudly and Spot smirked at her. She gave him a look that he knew meant the discussion was far from over and, without smiling, called for Nancy. Spot sighed and put his feet up on the bench beside Maddy. He continued smoking and looked out the window beside him.

"Manhatten doesn't have this problem. Their newsies all like each other."

"Well guess what doll. We're not in Manhatten. Whatever they do wit' each other is their business. And it's the same wit' us. They'd never get involved wit' our affairs unless I asked. 'Sides, they don't got nothin' to do with us, but if you want, why don't ya go on ahead and ask Cowboy if you can live in Manhatten. I'm sure they'd love a goil like you takin' up space in their bunkroom."

"A goil like me? What is that s'posed ta mean?" Maddy said, a different type of anger flooding her face. Spot sighed.

"I didn't mean it like you was a whore or nothin' Maddy, I just meant that there ain't no goils in Manhatten and those boys fawn over ya everytime we go there. Ya'd have ta sleep wit' one eye open to make sure they kept them hands to themselves."

"Better than havin' people think I'm a boy just 'cause I sell in Brooklyn." Maddy muttered under her breath.

"Ya want attention now Maddy, is that it? Why don'tcha wear a dress or somethin' then?" Spot said, exasperated. Maddy muttered something that Spot didn't catch. "Wha? What was that?" Maddy looked up at him.

"Dresses are uncomfortable." She said. Spot chuckled and tried to remember the last time she wore a dress.

"I can't even remember you eva' wearin' a dress, how would you know they're uncomfortable?"

"I wore them when I was a kid. Anyway, that's not the point!"

"Then what is the point?"

"Well… Christ, I don't even remember no more." She said, a smile growing on her face. Spot laughed at her openly, reaching over and ruffling her hair. She smiled sheepishly as Nancy came over with their food.

Spot knew how to deal with Maddy when she got like that. You just had to keep changing the subject until she forgot what the original point was. She had a forgetful mind and couldn't keep up with Spot when he tricked her. He learned that the day he almost tripped over her. She was getting mad at Paddy for kicking her, and Paddy seemed dumbfounded that a little girl was yelling at him. So Spot just kept changing the subject on her, asking her questions about who she was and where she was from. She got so caught up in yelling at Spot about being nosy, she forgot all about her anger at Paddy.

It had taken Maddy a while to answer those questions. She only told Spot her name, because she figured a boy her age wouldn't report her to the police or anything.

"Elizabeth. Elizabeth Madden."

"And where ya from?" That question had taken her much longer to answer. A couple of weeks after her appearance in Brooklyn, she finally confided in him. Soon after she told him, Spot ran to find his brother and tell him what he had found out. Paddy had let out a low whistle.

"Hell's Kitchen eh? That's a long way away, and a mighty rough place for a runt like her. Why'd she leave?"

"She wouldn't tell me. But she said she had to leave her little brudder behind an' everythin'. She mentioned her parents, I guess they're still alive."

"Alright, well you lemme know if you find out anything else."

And so word had spread throughout the Brooklyn newsies. Their newest addition, their little girl who outsold Paddy within the first few weeks was an escapee from Hell's Kitchen. Most of the boys stopped picking on her for being a girl, knowing that it was tough to last in that part of town. No one even sold newspapers there, it was so rough. It did at least, solve the mystery of what ethnicity she was. She was definitely Irish, though the boys could figure that out by her looks. She never spoke about where she came from to any of the boys, except Spot. Maddy knew that he would go and tell his brother, but she figured that was alright, seeing as Paddy was the leader of Brooklyn and all. She knew that was a big deal. Brooklyn was huge. It wasn't yet a part of New York City officially, but anyone who read the newspapers knew it would be. Because Brooklyn was so big, there had to be lots of different groups of newsies all over the place. Paddy and his newsies were situated right at the Brooklyn Bridge, in Brooklyn Heights. They covered the area from Greenpoint in the north, to Fort Hamilton in the south and Prospect Park to the east. There was another lodging house and another leader in Coney Island and another group of newsies in Cypress Hills. Although they were huge groups in their own right, they all reported back to Paddy. He really was the king of Brooklyn. Well. Until he disappeared. That was a mystery in its own right.

No one knew exactly what happened, just that one day he didn't come back from selling the evening edition. Maddy heard the news from the other boys before Spot did. He was still sleeping in his bunk when she came clattering up the stairs, hitting the tops with her hands to keep her going. She ran into the bunk room, hair flying behind her and stopped in front of Spot's bunk. Still half asleep, he glared at her for awakening him.

"Ya ain't got no manners, Maddy. Wakin' me up all rude like that."

"Spot, it's Paddy. He ain't here. The otha boys are sayin' he's gone for good." She said breathlessly. Spot sat up quickly, careful not to bang his head on the bunk above him. He reached for his shirt and put it on and then grabbed his boots and shoved them on his feet. He wordlessly pushed past Maddy and went down the stairs to the large group of boys congregating on the street outside the house. She scampered after him, not wanting to miss what happened next.

"Where is he?" Spot demanded.

"We dunno Spot. He neva' came back last night." Paddy's best friend Little Joe spoke up.

"Is he havin' problems with any of th' otha leaders? Maybe one of 'em soaked him and he can't get back." Spot asked calmly.

"Nah, everyone's real happy right now. No problems anywhere. But Spot… he mentioned somethin' tha otha day… About leavin'. He said he wanted you in charge of Brooklyn if he ever got killed or… neva came back." Little Joe had taken his hat off and was talking quietly only to Spot now. Maddy was standing beside Spot, holding his arm for support. The other boys were leaning in close, straining to hear what was going on. Maddy looked up at Spot and he looked down at her. She stood on her tiptoes, being a short girl and whispered in his ear.

"You can do it." He nodded slowly, not wanting to believe his brother was gone.

"Alright. If that's what he wanted."

And that's how Spot Conlon became the leader of Brooklyn. There was no ceremony for him and no funeral for Paddy. The boys just slapped Spot on the back and went about their business, selling newspapers and playing cards. There wasn't a palpable change to Brooklyn. The same boys were still there, doing their job as newsies. Spot had never said anything about Paddy since then. Since no one was talking about the disappearance, it took a while for news to spread around New York and when the other leaders dropped by to pay their respects and find out some details, Spot thanked them for being kind enough to come by and that was it. Never told a soul what he thought happened. Little Joe came down with pneumonia a few days later and died silently in his bunk. He never told anyone else what Paddy had said to him about leaving either. Maddy tried for a few days to help Spot out with what he was feeling, but this was one thing he never let her in on. It was something he had to deal with himself, and although he knew Maddy was frustrated with him for not telling her, he just had to keep this feeling to himself. At thirteen years old, Spot Conlon had to be in charge of all the newsies in Brooklyn. He accepted the challenge with a fervor no one had seen out of him. When things started getting tough between the different sections of New York City, he gained himself a reputation as a fearsome, no holds barred leader. Most were scared of him, and those that weren't were his friends. And even they were scared of him sometimes. There was one person in the world who wasn't scared of Spot Conlon, and that was Maddy. She believed he could run Brooklyn for the rest of his life if he wanted and she wanted to be there every step of the way. She became his second in command and the only girl newsie in New York City.

Back in Nancy's diner, Spot had finished his meal and was waiting for Maddy. She was always the last done her food, no matter how little food they had. He jiggled his feet and tapped the table, impatient as always.

"How's everythin' been lately in Manhatten anyways? Pulitzer treatin' 'em right?" Maddy said around a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, it's almost getting boring again. I'd die for a good fight or somethin'."

"Or someone else would." She muttered, bringing a smile to Spot's face. "Spot, they don't fight ya 'cause they know they won't win. 'Specially after the strike. You might as well be the king of New York City or somethin'." Spot laughed.

"Da King of New York City eh? I like the sound of that."

"Well. Let's not get too carried away, alright? Now c'mon. Let's go sell some papers." Spot and Maddy stood up, leaving money for their food on the table. As they walked out the door and into the streets of Brooklyn, Spot offered his arm to Maddy and they walked silently to the distribution center.

* * *

Alright, this is my first piece of fanfiction ever. I know not much happened in this chapter, but I can't help this love of background detail that I have. Hopefully things will pick up soon.


	2. Chapter 2

It was 2:46am. The bunkroom was filled with quiet snores and breaths from the other newsies. Maddy quietly got up from her bunk, fully dressed, and slid quietly through the room. She made her way down the stairs, pausing before the front door. She silently slid the deadbolt back and moved out the front door, closing it firmly behind her. Maddy disappeared into the night. One thing Maddy hadn't noticed was that there was another bed that was missing its occupant.

6:45am, July 15th, 1900.

"'Ey, Maddy, wake up!" Spot said, pulling the blankets off of the girls sleeping form. The other boys went about their business, knowing this was a routine that happened every morning.

"Would ya leave me alone? I don't wanna sell today!" came the muffled reply. Maddy's face was stuffed into her pillow, blocking the light out.

"Just get up, okay? I don't need this crap today." Spot grabbed her pillow and threw it on the ground. He then walked away, towards the staircase. Maddy's head stuck up, hair in wild disarray.

"Geez, what's his problem? Not like today is anything special." She quickly moved off of her bed and dashed into the bathrooms. She emerged a few minutes later, hair thrown up into a cap and face freshly scrubbed. She moved quickly down the stairs and ran out the door. Running the short distance to the distribution center, she wished for a few good headlines. Maddy slowed as she reached the wrought iron gates to the center. Spot was there, at the front of the line, like usual. She grinned and bounced over to him, hoping the walk had put him in a better mood.

"'Ey, have you seen the headlines yet?"

"No. And Maddy, I really don't think you should get to butt in the front of line when everyone else actually got **their** asses outta bed on time this morning." Spot said, quietly puffing on a cigarette.

"...what? I always do it. The boys don't care, do ya guys?" She turned and addressed the boys closest behind them.

"Nah, 'acourse not. You always do it, we ain't gonna stop you now." Patches, a short redhaired boy piped up.

"See Spot? They don't care. What's the big deal anyway? Just 'cause you got a stick up your butt this morning doesn't mean you gotta take it out on me." Maddy grinned.

"Shuttup Mad. I told you, I don't need to deal with your crap this morning."

"What are you talkin' about? What's so special about today that you think you don't have to put up with me?" The window to the office was opening up and the newsies were getting anxious.

"Fifty papes please. No reason. Just leave me alone, alright?" Spot extinguished his cigarette, grabbed his papers from the man behind the bars and walked off. Maddy stood dumbfounded, forgetting all about newspapers.

Later that afternoon

Maddy quietly strolled through the streets of Brooklyn. She stopped in front of a large red brick house. Laughter and music from a piano was quietly seeping through the windows and into the muggy late afternoon. The sun was about to sink behind the horizon, it's last vestiges of light shimmering off the river. She drifted closer to the house, curious about what was inside. She had seen this house everyday since she arrived in Brooklyn. Men would move quickly towards it and quickly away from it, their carriages rattling as they went. The house seemed to be alive with an emotion that Maddy couldn't place. Before she knew it, the front door had appeared in her sight and she raised a hand to the doorknob.

"Maddy!" It was the little boy she found on the stairs the day before. His eyes still had bruises around them and cuts were still present on his arms and face.

"Yeah?" She quickly stepped away from the door, moving towards the boy.

"Spot's lookin' for ya! He told me to find you right quick 'cause he has something he wants to ask ya!"

"Oh, so his highness finally thinks I'm worthy of his presence? How grand!" Maddy affected what she hoped was an aristocratic accent. The little boy just stared at her, eyes wide with confusion. "Alright, alright, I'm coming. Tell his highness that I'll be there as soon as I can. He can't just call for me at his will and expect me to come running." The boy nodded and ran quickly back in the direction he came from, towards the Lodging house. Maddy looked back towards the red brick house and sighed. She moved away, slowly following the boy back.

Twenty minutes later, she finally arrived at the docks. The other boys were getting ready for a night out, as it was saturday and there was no sunday morning edition of the paper. She found Spot at the end of the docks, his legs dangling off the edge.

"You gonna tell me whats going on with you finally?" Maddy asked, sitting beside him.

"You gonna tell me where you went last night?" Spot asked, looking over at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? I didn't go nowhere last night, except to the bathroom to get some water."

"Don't lie to me Mad. Racer was up sick last night and he said he saw you leave as he was coming out of the bathroom."

"Well maybe he's so sick, he got crazy. I didn't go nowhere. Is this actually why you've been avoiding me all day? Because if it is, that's a stupid reason to ignore your best friend." Maddy said petulantely. Spot sighed.

"I ain't no dumbass, 'kay? You've left before. I've seen you. But you've gone too far. You can't just get up and go. What if you got kidnapped or killed or somethin'? What would I do then, huh?"

"You'd search until you found me and save the day, 'acourse. C'mon Spot, what's the big deal? Can't a girl have some secrets?"

"Not you. You're my second in command. What if you're sneaking out to go meet with other burroughs to plot against Brooklyn?" Spot said, standing up abruptly. Maddy looked up at him, anger in her eyes.

"Don't you dare accuse me of turning against you, against Brooklyn! This is my home. I ain't never leaving unless you leave, 'cause I'd follow you until the end of the earth! I can't believe you'd think that! You're crazy, you know that? Ever since the strike, you've been all paranoid, and I'm sick of it." Maddy was standing now, inches away from Spot's face. Her face was turning a deep shade of red, from anger. "You need to realize that you can only accuse so many people before they actually do start turning on you!" With that, she whirled away from him and stalked down the docks.

Maddy made her way towards the lodging house and bounded into the front door. Pushing her way through groups of newsies, she fled up the stairs, slamming the door of the bunkroom. Moments later, Spot ran through the door as well. As he reached the top of the stairs, the door flew open and Maddy stopped in the doorway. She had an old threadbare, canvas bag over her shoulder. She glared coldly at Spot and then pushed past him to go down the stairs. He moved in front of her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm leaving. You don't seem to trust me much anymore, so I figure its time to find myself a new place to stay." Maddy said.

"You're joking, right? I trust you, okay Maddy? I don't actually think you would plot against me."

"That's funny, because you sure accused me of doing it!" With this, Maddy pushed Spot out of the way and went down the stairs. Spot threw up his hands, and quickly followed her.

"Listen, you can't leave, okay?" He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders. "It's dangerous."

"Yeah, I'm real scared." She glared and pushed her way towards the door. Spot moved around her and put the deadbolt on the door.

"You can't. I mean it." He motioned for her to lean in towards him. Maddy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Seriously, Maddy. Come here. We need to talk." A curious expression appeared on her face. It was replaced by a worried look as she realized he was serious.

"About what?" Maddy whispered.

"Just... c'mon. Let's go upstairs." He turned and walked up the stairs. Maddy glanced around at the newsies that had gathered to watch. She gave them a small smile and followed Spot.

Once in the bunkroom, Maddy closed the door behind her. Spot was already sitting on his bunk, back to the small girl.

"Spot? What's going on?" She moved towards her best friend, setting her bag down on the bed as she went. She sat beside Spot, crossing her legs and facing him. His elbows were resting on his knees and his head was hanging. She tentatively reached out a hand to place on the back of his neck. He pushed his head up and looked her, anguish in his eyes.

"It's Manhattan. Someone's killing 'em."

"What? What do you mean?" She moved closer.

"Just what I said. Jack sent word this morning that he wanted to meet with us. So I went early before you woke up and saw him. Someone's been killing his boys. Just the little ones, the ones who don't know no better than to be outside in middle of the night. The bodies are always dumped on the lodging house steps, throats slit." Spot leaned sideways against her, finally having let go of his burden.

"Killed?" she whispered. "Who would wanna kill a bunch of kids? That don't make no sense." She looked down at his head, which was leaning on her shoulder.

"I know. That's why I was in a bad mood. I'm sorry for accusing you of all that, but I just dunno what to do. And hearing that you've been sneakin' out just kinda pushed me over tha edge." He pushed his head up, looking into her eyes.

"Did Jack ask for help?" She stared back, ignoring the hidden question.

"Yeah. He wants our help to catch whoever it is thats doing this."

"What did you tell him?"

"That I would talk to you first and we'd meet him tomorrow morning." With that, Spot fell backwards onto the bed. Maddy followed suit, laying beside him. "So what do you think?"

"I don't know Spot. I think we should let the boys know before we make any sort of decision. But we can't tell them now. Send a runner to Cowboy, and let him know we'll meet with him tomorrow afternoon instead. Let the boys have their fun for one more night."

"Alright. But what do we do?" There was a few beats of silence.

"We go to Manhattan."


	3. Chapter 3

Maddy opened her eyes with a groan, blinking past the bright sunlight filtering in through the bunkroom windows. She pushed herself up to take stock of the damage and saw liquor bottles laying on the floor, clothes draped over furniture and more than one boy sleeping on the floor. Heaving a sigh, Maddy got out of her bunk and moved silently across the room to the bathrooms.

Halfway there, she stopped suddenly. She did a quick double-take and glanced back towards Spot's bed. There was a girl in it. Maddy remembered that the girl had been fawning over Spot all evening, so the girl – what was her name? Olivia? – must have gotten what she wanted. Maddy stared for a moment, before she realized someone else was awake.

"You gonna move or what?" The voice came from across the room so Maddy looked that way and caught the eyes of her second best newsie, Tipper. She threw a dirty look his way and moved on to the bathroom.

Later that morning

"Gotta keep those boys in line, Spot. If I have to fend off one more drunken advance I'm gonna go crazy in that room."

"They don't think of you the same way I do, if they just knew that you were really a boy at heart they'd never be caught dead near ya." Spot said, glancing over the side of the bridge.

Maddy quickly looked over the railing as well, feeling a bit hurt at the assumption. "I'm no boy! I may not wear dresses or paint my face but I'm still a girl. You got no manners Spotty, to talk like that in the presence of a _lady_."

Spot let out a quick snort and smirked at the word 'lady'. "Don't be stupid, kid. Ain't no one in the whole of New York City who would believe you're a lady."

Maddy rolled her eyes in Spot's general direction before taking off at a run. "See ya in Manhattan!"

He took off after her with a grin on his face, determined not to let her win another race. They flew off the bridge and ran neck and neck through the crowded streets before Maddy pulled ahead and rounded the corner to the Manhattan lodging house ahead of Spot. When he took the corner, he ran head first into the girl and they crashed to the ground, rolling a few times before settling down side by side. Maddy sat up quickly and looked down at her best friend.

"Was that necessary? We both know I was gonna win."

"Thanks for all the concern Maddy, I probably just broke my neck or somethin'. Who stops just around a corner anyway? Recipe for disaster right there." Complained Spot, still laying on the ground.

"There were some real creepy lookin' guys standing together near the lodging house… They saw me run 'round the corner so they split up. I stopped because they didn't look like no newsies." Maddy stood up and reached down to give Spot a hand up.

He quickly brushed the dirt off his trousers and walked over to the steps of the narrow brick building, Maddy close behind. They both stopped when they saw the crimson letters painted on the door.

_Where is she?_

The door flew open and Maddy jumped, startled at the sudden movement.

"Heya guys! I thought we were meeting this afternoon? What brings you here so early?" Jack Kelly stood in the doorway, looking between the two shocked Brooklyn newsies. Spot quickly motioned to the door and Jack turned around and took a step back to read the message.

"Shit. You guys see who did this?" he asked.

"I just saw a bunch of shady lookin' characters standing around the stoop, but they left when we came around the corner. I couldn't tell ya who they were, never seen 'em before." Maddy explained, glancing off in the direction some of the men had gone.

"Well, let's get inside. I'll ask one of the boys to clean this off." Jack said, looking solemnly at the door.

The three filed into the house without a word. Spot took out a pack of cigarettes and he and Jack took one each. Maddy waved off the offer and led the way upstairs to the bunkroom. It was deserted for the moment and Maddy secretly heaved a sigh, knowing that they wouldn't have to include all the boys in on their discussion.

"I sent them all out for the afternoon, couldn't let them all stay here. Some of 'em don't even know what's going on and I want to keep it that way while we get it sorted out." Jack said.

"Good call Cowboy, it's best if we get this under control quickly. Who knows?" Spot took a seat on one of the empty bunks. Maddy quickly sat beside him, leaning against one of the posts.

"Not many. Just Race and Davey for now. They were with me when the first one was found on the steps. I had to pull rank real quick and start stepping out the door first thing so no one would find them. I mean, we thought the first one may have been a mistake – meant for someone else y'know? But I realized he had been hanging around the distribution centre for a couple days. Not long enough to really know who he was. The rest have been the same, we know who they are but not real well." Jack pushed his hair back and sat on the bunk across from Maddy and Spot.

"So you been out with any girls recently? Anyone that would piss someone off? It seems to me they think you're hiding someone, some girl." Spot said.

"Nah, Sarah and I have been on the outs but there ain't been no one else."

"Maybe you wanna ask your boys who they been hangin' around with… maybe one of 'em is screwing around with the Mayor's daughter or something." Spot shrugged.

Maddy finally spoke. "Nah, they're looking for someone, right? Where is she… Has there been anything in the papes about missing girls or anything lately?" Spot and Jack both looked at Maddy and then each other.

"Mads, you know they could never report all the missing girls in New York City. The whole paper would be full of it." Spot said. He and Maddy shared a look, before she lowered her eyes and looked back over to Jack. Sometimes she forgot that she was one of those missing girls to someone.

It wasn't often that Maddy thought about her old life. It had been rough, living in Hell's Kitchen. Around the time she left, the gangs were starting to form together and create one big gang to mess with the police. Officers rarely came through Hell's Kitchen and all sorts of trouble went down in the neighbourhood. Maddy spared a brief thought for her brother, who she had left behind in the Kitchen. He was just two years younger than her and she hoped he hadn't joined the Gophers. They were a mean group of Irish thugs who expected everyone to bow down for them. Her dad started hanging around with them and became unbearable to be around. Her mom thought it meant the family would be safe, but it just brought more trouble for the kids. Maddy was only seven when she left but the men who trapped her in alleys and took advantage of her weakness never gave her any peace. She supposed it was ironic that ten years later she spent all her time around boys and wasn't even friends with any girls.

Maddy couldn't spare a single thought for her father, who knew what was going on and didn't put a stop to it. She felt the same about her mother, who never even tried to create a better life for the family. Her mother hadn't been brave enough, but Maddy was. She knew that if you wanted a better life then you had to get it for yourself. A newsie life wasn't exactly the dream, but it was better than Hell's Kitchen.

"So who is she?" Maddy asked, quickly recovering from her thoughts.

"I'll ask around to the boys. In the meantime… I was hoping you'se could offer some sort of protection. I know it's got nothin' to do with you guys but—" Jack was cut off by Spot.

"And how are we supposed to do that? Follow every little kid that's set foot in your house? That's too big a job Cowboy, we ain't got those resources."

"Listen, we can't handle this by ourselves. We cover a huge area but we get along pretty well with everyone, y'know? I want to go around to the other sellin' areas and talk to their guys too but we need you on board first." Jack explained.

Spot motioned for Jack to give the two a moment and he quickly left the room.

"Spot, this is serious. Kids are getting killed and Manhattan needs our help. It's not just gonna be us, you know he just wants your word to get everyone else on board." Maddy leaned close, knowing how to get through to Spot. "He wants Brooklyn because he knows how powerful you are."

Spot leaned back and gazed at Maddy. "How can we protect those kids? They're not like the kids we take in in Brooklyn. They're not as tough and that's why they're gettin' picked off. Cowboy's too soft on 'em and now he wants us to pick up the slack? Nothin' doin' dollface."

"We can't just let them die. We were like them once, y'know? Runnin' away from something, just trying to find a spot to fit in. Manhattan's got a different way of treating their newsies, but it doesn't mean they're wrong. Don't let more kids die just because you don't like how Cowboy runs his show." Maddy grabbed Spots hand and tilted her head. "They need our help."

"Why ya gotta be all reasonable, Mads?"

Walking back to Brooklyn

"It's gonna take a while for the word to get around. I hope all the other leaders can let their kids know not to be walkin' around late at night or nothin'." Maddy was leaning up against the railing of the Brooklyn Bridge. They were taking one last moment to talk before heading into their borough and breaking the news.

"It's gonna be hard. We may be leaders but you know these boys go around and do what they like. We're not their mothers or nothin'." Spot took a drag off his cigarette and blew smoke out. Maddy grabbed it and took her own mouthful of smoke.

"I still don't really understand what's actually happening… Who were those men? Do they really think one of the Manhattan newsies are holding some girl hostage or something? It just don't make sense."

"It ain't up to us to know, we've just gotta protect ourselves and help those boys get to the bottom of it. We ain't no detectives." Spot reasoned.

"And here I thought this was going to be a quiet summer." Maddy took off her hat and let her blond locks fly in the wind. Spot put a hand on her face and grinned at her.

"Nothin' ain't ever quiet when you're around."

* * *

Wow, so I just recently rediscovered this story and was totally sucked in again. I hope someone out there is still interested! I promise the next chapter won't take quite as long!


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